CM Naveen Patnaik reviews flood situation in the state [Odisha Diary]

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday reviews flood situation in the state. Apprehending the worst, the Chief Minister on Monday after reviewing the flood situation had asked all district Collectors, particularly of the vulnerable three district administrations, to take all precautionary steps to deal with the possible floods.

With all the rivers in north Odisha flowing close to their danger marks and showing a rising trend, the Chief Minister asked the district Collectors of Baleswar and Mayurbhanj to remain alert to handle the situation.

The ODRAF, NDRF and Fire personnel were pressed into service in Keonjhar, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts to undertake rescue and relief operations as two blocks under Keonjhar, including Hatadihi, Andnadpur and three blocks in Jajpur, including Dasarathpur, Korei, and Jajpur Sadar had been flooded due to the Batarani water.

The Chief Minister during the review meeting on Monday evening asked the Collectors to evacuate people from the low lying and marooned areas to safer places and provide them with free cooked food. The flood victims should be provided with emergency relief if necessary, Patnaik instructed.

He also asked the Irrigation Department to identify the vulnerable pointes along the river embankments and deploy mobile patrolling teams for protection. Besides, he also asked the Urban Development, Health and Rural Development Departments to ensure provision of portable drinking water to the affected people.

CM Naveen Patnaik writes to PM, asks Centre to share NPR data for Food Security Act implementation [Odisha Sun Times]

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share the National Population Register (NPR) data base with the state government for implementation of National Food Security Act (FSA), 2013 in the state.

The Registrar General of India (RGI) has been requested on several occasions to share the digital NPR database of  the remaining 29 districts of Odisha. The matter has also been taken up with the Union Home secretary and Home Minister. I had also personally written to Dr Manmohan Singh to intervene in the matter in April, 2013. I would request you to intervene in the matter immediately for enabling Odisha to implement the National Food Security Act, 2013 at an early date,” said Patnaik in a letter to prime minister Modi.

So far, the RGI has shared the data of only Khurdha district in August 2013.

Informing that there are large inclusion and exclusion errors in the existing ration cards, the chief minister said the government has decided to digitalise the list of beneficiaries for the NFS Act on the basis of NPR created at the time of 2011 Census as it is a near complete database of all the people in the country.

The RGI and Census Commission of India are the custodians of the database. The Odisha government has inked an MoU with the RGI for sharing the NPR database in March 2013.

Expediting the process of implementation of the Act, the government has given its nod to eight exclusion criteria for identification of beneficiaries who  will avail subsidised food grains.

The eight exclusion criteria covers monthly income, income tax payees, persons having four wheelers or 2 nos of three wheelers, business with TIN number, electric consumption above 300 units, any state Government or Central Government employee, persons owning tractors, power-tillers, fishing boats or other heavy vehicles, persons into entrepreneurship, professional tax payees etc.

Based on the criteria, the government has decided to delete all bogus ration card holders and APLs counted as BPLs, due to erroneous registrations, to facilitate streamlining of the process for implementation of the Food Security Act in the state.

Union Health Minister assures Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik of central health support [Odisha Diary]

Dr. Harsh Vardhan called on the Chief Minister  Naveen Patnaik, at the state secretariat, and assured him that the project to build a regional geriatric centre on the campus of SCB Medical College at Cuttack is pending before the union cabinet. 

He was responding to Sh Patnaik’s specific suggestions for more health ministry projects in the state. These included a proposal for a Regional Institute of Paramedical Science (RIPS: for which the state government has given 10 acres), a branch of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences in Bhubaneswar, an outlay of Rs 530 crore for expanding the MBBS intake by 100 seats in each of the three Government medical colleges and establishing more Graduate Nursing Midwife and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife schools. 

Dr Harsh Vardhan assured Sh Patnaik that cost revision is underway for the RIPS proposal. When he pointed out that it has already been decided to have a mental health super-speciality centre within AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the Chief Minister expressed his satisfaction. 

On the financial outlay question, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the earmarked funds would be released in a phased manner. Since the Medical Council of India is yet to approve the increase in MBBS seats at two of the three medical colleges, the money for only the Cuttack College would be available at the present time, he said. 

Earlier, at a meeting with Sh Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, the Health Minister of Odisha, Dr Harsh Vardhan said he would soon summon a meeting of the Central Council of Health (CCH) for building up a strategy for eradicating preventable diseases and achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals before the due date of September 2015. 

“We must make Health for All a social movement and in this we should imbibe all NGOs, private sector companies and religious organisations,” he told Sh Rout. The principal secretary (Health), Sh Pradeepta Kumar Mahapatra, was present on the occasion. 

The Union Minister said he was happy with Odisha’s success in immunisation, which is now 80 percent. However, a higher goal of 95 percent should be set for the near future, he remarked. Dr Harsh Vardhan began the day with a visit to the historic Lingaraja Temple. He also spent some time in the idyllic Ekamravan herbal garden by the Bindusagar lake adjacent to the temple. He is scheduled to visit Puri later in the day. 

More features for AIIMS Bhubaneswar announced  

“I want to see AIIMS Bhubaneswar develop into the most modern hospital in India, bigger and better than AIIMS Delhi,” Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister, told reporters in the Odisha capital today. He went on to make ten significant announcements which underscore the government’s commitment. These are: 

*An integrated treatment facility for patients combining AYUSH and allopathic medication and techniques. 

*A 100-bed, super-speciality Mental Health and Neurosciences Centre. 

*A 100-bed super-speciality Nephrology Centre with dialysis and kidney transplant facilities. 

*A Cancer Super-Speciality centre, with 100 beds. 

*Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, another 100-bed super-speciality facility. 

*A brand new Department of Occupational and Environmental Health. 

*A Department of Geriatric Medicine. 

*AIIMS Bhubaneswar’s ‘satellite’ in Balasore to be a 300-bed multi-speciality hospital. It is coming up on a 25 acre plot provided by the state government. 

* Balasore unit to have on its campus a School of International Public Health in collaboration with a reputed overseas institution. 

*All BSc (Nursing) students at AIIMS Bhubaneswar to henceforth receive a monthly stipend of Rs 500. 

The Health Minister spent over an hour inspecting the out and in-patient departments of AIIMS. He made it a point to look into minute details. His attention moved to the registration slips which are routinely handed out to new patients and he noted that the health advice printed on them were not of much value. So he recommended that every 15 days a new message should be printed. This way, he suggested to Dr A.K. Mahapatra, the Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar and the senior officials by his side, there could be greater awareness generation of the simple truisms of healthy living. 

The Bhubaneswar AIIMS, much like the five others set up recently, is suffering a serious shortage of faculty and non-faculty staff. Dr Harsh Vardhan announced the clearing of decks for a recruitment drive beginning August 1. “We have only 65 filled faculty positions in each AIIMS at the present time, a shortfall of 250. So I have decided to hire on contractual basis for the first two years because we need to get the facilities functional fast,” he told reporters. 

About recruitment to faculty and non-faculty positions, the Minister said he has decided to give the Director of each of the AIIMS the authority to chair selection committee meetings. The system of getting officials from other Institutions to chair the interview sessions has, effectively, been discontinued. In the afternoon the Health Minister spend some time with the students and inspected their living quarters. He noted that large neon signs were necessary on the exterior of the hospital.

BJD led Odisha govt. to simplify pension rules soon, says Minister [Odisha Sun Times]

In order to enable retired employees to avail their pension in time, the Odisha government has decided to simplify the pension disbursal rules very soon.

Announcing this in reply to a question of BJD member Priyadarshi Mishra and supplementary question of BJP member Rabinarayan Nayak in the State Assembly on Thursday, Public Grievances and Pension Administration minister Jogendra Behera said his department had asked all departments for early resolution of all pending pension related cases in line with the Odisha Civil Service Pension Rules, 1992.

Apart from this, instructions have been given to all district collectors to conduct joint grievances hearing on pension related issues at the district headquarters and blocks in presence of all district officials, he added.

Stating that a total of 244 pension related cases had been solved in the pension adalats in Boudh, Kendrapara, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Sonepur and Keonjhar districts during 2013-14, Behera said his department, in association with the Finance department, had taken steps for simplification of pension rules.

“After a final decision is taken on this, my department will publish revised pension simplification rules book very soon,” the minister informed the House.

CM Naveen Patnaik approves the proposal for setting up of the Birla Global University in Bhubaneswar [OdishaDiary]

Odisha cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal for setting up of the Birla Global University in Bhubaneswar.  The state cabinet which held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the proposal for setting up of the Birla Global University in Bhubaneswar. 

Earlier the screening committee, headed by chief secretary on 2013, giving a green signal to proposal for setting up of the Birla Global University in Bhubaneswar. The proposed BGU would come up as a university under the De Novo category. An area of 29.400 acres of land has already been acquired at Gothapatna on the outskirts of the capital city for establishment of BGU and construction work is going on.  

The estimated capital cost for setting up of the university would be Rs86 crore while the student strength would be 995. The courses on offer include School of Development & Sustainability, School of Communication, School of Law, School of Social Science & Humanities, School of Architecture & Planning and School of Tribal Studies & Development. 

The cabinet also today discussed about 15 other proposals.

BJD MLAs urge Hon. Governor to intervene on Polavaram issue

Even as the party observed a day-long hartal in four districts in undivided Koraput district against the Polavaram multi-purpose project, the Biju Janata Dal legislators disrupted the proceedings of the State Assembly here on Monday over the issue.

As soon as Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the proceedings of the Assembly, the BJD legislators staged a dharna in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Assembly premises to register their protest against passage of the Polavaram Bill.

They blamed both Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress for supporting the Polavaram Bill in Parliament.

The ruling party legislators then marched down to Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum to Governor S. C. Jamir seeking his intervention in the matter.

The legislators urged the Governor to impress upon the Central government to consider the grievance of the State of Odisha for a re-look on the project design in order to avoid submergence of large areas of the State by the Polavaram project.

The disruption of Assembly proceedings by the ruling BJD legislators was criticised by opposition Congress and BJP.

The BJD has expressed apprehension that a large number of tribal people in Malkangiri district will be affected by the construction of the Polavaram project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The BJD leaders as well as several environmental activists of Odisha have claimed that if the Polavaram project comes up as per its present plans of increased height of the dam, it would lead to submergence of villages in Malkangiri district of Odisha.

The revenue districts where the 12 hour long hartal call had been given were Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Rayagada. Vehicular traffic was completely disrupted in these four districts during this hartal, as the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) had preferred to keep its buses off road as precautionary measure and the private bus operators of all these districts had preferred to support the agitation.

BJD calls for urgent steps to insulate youths from joining Iraq's ISIS [Zee News]

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday has expressed its concern over youths from Maharashtra visiting Iraq to join the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), and sought urgent steps for insulating the latter from involving themselves in jihadist activities. 

"This is a very serious matter. Youths from India getting involved in jihadist activities anywhere in the world should be of concern to us. We have seen in the past in other countries like Pakistan where their youth got involved in jihadist activities, later on they came back and they started hunting their own country. We have to nip this problem in the bud and tackle it right away," BJD leader Jay Panda said.

The Maharashtra Government is in touch with the central government over the disappearance of four Muslim youth from Kalyan town who are suspected to have joined ISIS jehadis in Iraq. 

The police in Maharashtra are probing the four separate missing complaints filed by the parents of the youth, identified as Arif Fayyaz Majeed, Aman Naik Tandel, Shaheed Farooqui Tanki and Fahad Tanvir Sheikh.

All are educated, are in their mid-20s and cited various reasons, including employment options, for going to Iraq before their families lost all contact with them. 

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been displaced in the fighting between the government troops and Sunni militants that broke out on June 10. 

Sunni militant outfit, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( ISIS), now called Islamic State (IS) declared last month that it is establishing a new caliphate, or an Islamic state, on the territories it controls in Iraq and Syria.

USA's Silicon Valley to invest $300 mn in Odisha's Info-valley; the First in India [Business Standard]

A team of global investors from Silicon Valley has assured the state government an investment of $300 million to promote Information Technology (IT) and Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) units at the proposed Info-valleyIT park on the outskirts of the city.

A business delegation led by Ajit Manocha, former CEO of US-based Global Foundries, informed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik that Odisha is the first state in India to tie up with Silicon Valley. Manocha is also a member of US President Barrack Obama’s advisory committee on advanced manufacturing.

The investment would create job opportunities for about 100,000 people, read an official release. The team lauded the efforts of the state government for creating a favourable environment to attract foreign investment in the IT and ESDM sector. Patnaik promised to provide all support to materialise the investment.

Info-valley, the second IT hub in the city, is being developed by the state IT department through Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) over an area of 600 acres. The leading IT company, Infosys is the anchor tenant of the project.

This apart, there is also a proposal to set up a IT Investment Region (ITIR) on an area of 41.32 sq km (10,210 acres) between Bhubaneswar and Khurda. Recently, the Union government has accorded in principle approval for establishment of a green field electronic manufacturing cluster spreading over 215 acres of land within Info-valley complex.

To give an impetus to the ESDM sector, the state IT department has recently finalized a Strategic Road Map for Development of ESDM sector and is in the process of setting up a characterization lab for reliability testing of chips.

The ESDM sector is poised to generate cumulative revenue of Rs 18,800 crore in the state by 2024, as per an estimate. Rayagada, Sundergarh, Balasore and Ganjam districts have been identified as potential growth centres for the ESDM sector after a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities and threat) analysis. The ICT (information and communication technology) policy of the state government also aims to attract five ESDM companies and ten IT companies to the state by 2020 with an objective to take the total ICT turnover in the state to USD four billion.

CM Naveen Patnaik likely to appoint Gokul Chandra Pati as the new Chief Secretary [Odisha Diary]

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik likely to appoint Gokul Chandra Pati as new Chief Secretary. It should be noted that the Union government on Sunday appointed Odisha Chief Secretary Jugal Kishor Mohapatra as the secretary of the Department of Fertilizers in the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. 

Mohapatra, who assumed charge as the Chief Secretary of the state a year ago in July 2013, will be replaced by Gokul Chandra Pati. Pati is currently working as Secretary of Defence Production in the Ministry of Defence. 

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has given his nod to the appointment of Pati as the new Chief Secretary. The state government has already sent a letter to the Union Government requesting for Pati's return to the state. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left on a foreign tour, it is likely that his repatriation will be cleared in about two weeks.

BJD councillor Santoshini Behera and Gobardhan Nag elected as chairperson of Bolangir, Titlagarh Municipality [OdishaDiary]

BJD councillor Santoshini Behera elected unopposed as Bolangir Municipality chairperson . It should be noted that in the Bolangir Municipality election ruling BJD won 16 seats out of 21 seats. Similarly Gobardhan Nag elected as Titlagarh Municipality chairperson. 

BJD won 14 out of 15 wards in Titlagarh, in Balangir, the candidates of the ruling party were successful in 15 seats, while the Congress won 4. The BJP and the independents won in one seat each. 

The BJD’s win in Balangir municipality is important as the party was defeated in the recently held Assembly polls from the constituency. Congress candidate Narasingh Mishra had defeated former minister A U Singhdeo by more than 12,500 votes in the Assembly polls.

Agriculture Minister Pradip Maharathy assures Cold Storages in all the Blocks within 5 years [The Indian Express]

Agriculture Minister Pradip Maharathy on Wednesday assured the Assembly that the State Government would set up cold storage facility in all blocks within the next five years.

Admitting that lack of storage facility is a major problem affecting the farmers, the Minister said the Government is providing special incentive for construction of cold storage, but the response is not encouraging.

Replying to a question from Sanjib Sahu (BJD), Maharathy said farmers are facing problems due to lack of infrastructure which needs immediate attention. The BJD in its election manifesto had promised to develop cold storage facility in each block.

The State Government is in the process of setting up market terminals at Nildunguri in Sambalpur district and Berhampur in Ganjam district to help the farmers to store and market their produce like potato and onion, he said.

The Government has planned to send selective farmers to Nashik, the major onion producing district in Maharashtra, to learn about the storage facility there for the vegetable. Though the State is self sufficient in onion production, it has to depend on other states for the vegetable in the absence of storage facility.

Maharathy said plans are afoot to set up ‘Odisha Haat’ on the Horticulture Department land lying vacant near Unit-I market. The proposed market will have facility for storage and marketing of agricultural produce and work on construction of the haat will commence soon.

Similarly, the Government is considering setting up a ‘phool mandi’(flower mandi) and provide incentives to the women farmers to take up floriculture in a big way.

The Minister said farmers’ convention will be held at Balasore, Berhampur and Sambalpur from September to December every year to felicitate progressive farmers. Successful farmers will be awarded by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the convention.

Centre announces to modernise MKCG, VSS Medical Colleges in Odisha [OdishaDiary]

Union government announced to upgrade and modernise MKCG and VSS Medical Colleges and Hospitals in the state. This was informed by the Union health minister Harsh Vardhan informed the Parliament.

Minister Harsh Vardhan informed the Parliament that under the third phase of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Surakshya Yojana, 39 government medical colleges including MKCG-Berhampur and VSS-Burla. For up-gradation of the two premier health institutes and hospitals in Odisha, an amount of Rs 150 crore would be spent, of which the Centre would spend Rs 120 crore, while the state has to provide the matching grant of Rs 30 crore, Vardhan stated.

The union health minister further stated that some district headquarters hospitals and referral hospitals would also be upgraded and modernised. As per the minister’s information district headquarter hospitals in Koraput, Bolangir, Baripada, Puri and Balasore have been chosen for a facelift, sources stated.

 Union government announced to upgrade and modernise MKCG and VSS Medical Colleges and Hospitals in the state. This was informed by the Union health minister Harsh Vardhan informed the Parliament.

Minister Harsh Vardhan informed the Parliament that under the third phase of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Surakshya Yojana, 39 government medical colleges including MKCG-Berhampur and VSS-Burla. For up-gradation of the two premier health institutes and hospitals in Odisha, an amount of Rs 150 crore would be spent, of which the Centre would spend Rs 120 crore, while the state has to provide the matching grant of Rs 30 crore, Vardhan stated.

The union health minister further stated that some district headquarters hospitals and referral hospitals would also be upgraded and modernised. As per the minister’s information district headquarter hospitals in Koraput, Bolangir, Baripada, Puri and Balasore have been chosen for a facelift, sources stated.

- See more at: http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=51643#sthash.c0egToH3.dpuf

CM Naveen Patnaik meets Koshali Language Action Committee members along with the Local MLAs [OdishaDiary]

Koshali Language Action Committee members meet Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his Assembly Chamber in Bhubaneswar.
 

President, Koshali Language Action Committee Haldhar Nag and Secretary of Committee Saket Sahu meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik . The delegation urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to set up Kosli Sahitya Akademi and Kosli Sangeet Natak Akademi in the State.

They also demanded that steps be taken to impart education in Kosli language to Kosli-speaking students up to Class-V. BJD legislators Sushant Singh and Devesh Acharya were also present.

Koshali Language Action Committee members meet Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his Assembly Chamber in Bhubaneswar. 

 President, Koshali Language Action Committee Haldhar Nag and Secretary of Committee Saket Sahu meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik . The delegation urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to set up Kosli Sahitya Akademi and Kosli Sangeet Natak Akademi in the State. 

They also demanded that steps be taken to impart education in Kosli language to Kosli-speaking students up to Class-V. BJD legislators Sushant Singh and Devesh Acharya were also present.

- See more at: http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=51650#sthash.pjPXyjoV.dpuf

Odisha Society of the Americas (OSA) organized its 45th convention at Ohio, USA [Odisha Diary]

Odias living in North America celebrate their culture and heritage every year in a grand convention during the 4th of July weekend. These conventions organized by the Odisha society of the Americas (OSA), the oldest community organization outside Odisha, are always fun.

 The OSA, an ever growing 1100 family organization, brings people of Odia origin together dispersed all over the world. The three day long 45th OSA convention (July 3rd – 6th, 2014) held at Hotel Sheraton, downtown Columbus Ohio, just ended with the celebration of Lord Jagannath’s Bahuda festival at the local Sanatana Hindu temple. It was a memorable event attended by more than a thousand Odias from every part of North America and was held at a historic theater in downtown Columbus. There was a sizable presence of distinguished guests and visitors from Odisha, such as Ashok Panda, the honorable minister of Culture and Tourism; popular Odia Novelist Bibhuti Pattnaik; the artist and activist, Padmashree awardee, Kailash Meher; the legendry Rudrakshya dance company led by Guru Bichitrananda Swain; Debasrita Mohanty, the famous Odissi dancer and choreographer; internationally acclaimed sand sculptor Sudarshan Pattnaik; and one of the best music groups led by Abhijit Majumdar among others. 

The professional music group consisting of Mr. Abhijit Majumdar (music director), Ms. Tapu Mishra a playback singer, Ms. Sohini Mishra a playback singer and Indian Idol semi finalist playback singer Mr. Bishnu Mohan Kabi, entertained the audience throughout this event.

The convention began with the Odisha Development Day, on 3rd July. Ashok Chandra Panda , Minister of Tourism & Culture, Odisha, was the Chief Guest and gave the Key Note address on investment opportunities in Odisha with special emphasis on the tourism sector. This event was organized in two panels. The first panel session focused on various entrepreneurship opportunities in Odisha. A group of young successful entrepreneurs from Odisha, Ayaskant Mohanty, Annada Padhi and Satyabrat Ratho gave their views and ideas on setting up start-ups and businesses in Odisha.

This session was attended by prominent entrepreneurs from Odisha as well as from North America. Leading Professionals and Business leaders from the Odiya Community residing in the United States and Canada, participated in the discussions. The second panel was devoted to Higher education opportunities in Odisha.

Leading American academics and administrators highlighted their collaborative research and teaching projects involving various American and Indian universities with a special emphasis on how to involve the students and faculty from various universities in Odisha.

Besides a myriad of cultural activities showcasing dance, drama, Odissi Champu and Chhanda music, there were important symposia dealing with issues such as Odia speech and debate, entrepreneurship among the young Odias, health care, Womens forum and Youth identity. For example, one seminar focused on youth, titled "Who am I? Who are we?

Conversations on Identity and Belonging" attracted a huge number of teen and post teen youths in the diaspora to share their life experiences and their search for identity during unsettled times of their life. 

Another seminar of interest was on health where a second generation Odia cardiologist presented his path breaking research on cardio health care especially for South Asians. A major highlight of this year’s women’s forum was a moving presentation on women’s health and well being by the octogenarian Odia psychiatrist, Dr. Prasanna Pati who came to the United States in 1952. Another highlight was a seminar celebrating the centenary of legendary Gopinath Mohanty, the best Odia novelist of the 20th century. A book release session showcased the recent published books written by the members of our diasporic community.

The defining feature of this year’s Odia convention was the noticeable participation of the young and the old of our community. There were a sizable number of senior Odias from different parts of the country and we were impressed by their devotion to the OSA convention. Many of the older Odias reported getting a kick from participating in this convention where the continuity and change of our Odia culture is displayed through food, language, clothes, dance, drama, music, seminars, symposia and other activities.

Behind this successful convention lies the selfless effort of a core group of volunteers led by the convener, Satya Pattanaik, who have been working tirelessly for more than a year. Unlike any other community of immigrants, we Odias are annually getting together under the same roof dining, dancing, intellectually enriching ourselves and celebrating our achievements in different walks of lives. This has been so integral to the building of our community, widely dispersed in North America.

CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the central kitchen of Akshaya Patra Foundation in Cuttack [Odisha Diary]

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday inaugurated central kitchen of Akshaya Patra Foundation in Cuttack. It was the 22nd midday meal kitchen of the Akshaya Patra Foundation.  

Chief Minister Patnaik inaugurated the kitchen in the presence of Kusuma Foundation chairman General Surat Singh Sandhu, country leader Pankaj Vinayak Sharma and Akshaya Patra Foundation chairman Madhu Pandit Das. The kitchen is fully equipped with modern accessories to cook meals on a large-scale. The kitchen includes boilers, rice cleaning machines, cold storage, custom-made utensils and conveyor belts along with packing and distribution facilities. 

The food will be transported to schools using custom-designed vehicles which are heat-insulated and dust-free to retain the freshness of meals. The 20 distribution vehicles will transport hot and nutritious meals from the centralised kitchen to 45,000 children in 190 schools every day. The kitchen has the capacity to prepare and distribute up to 1 lakh meals from 2015. 

Everyday about 5.5 tons of rice, 3.5 tons of vegetable and 1.2 tonnes of dal will be cooked. This is the third centralised kitchen opened in Odisha, the release informed.

CM Naveen Patnaik announces the commencement of operation of World Trade Centre, Bhubaneswar [Odisha Diary]

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurates 5th branch of World Trade Centre in Bhubneswar.

The function was attended by Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, MP Dr.Prasanna Patsani, Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, Industries Secretary Shri Visal Dev, Executive Director of World Trade Centre, Mumbai Mr. Warerkar.

On this ocassion CM Patnaik said that, “It gives me immense pleasure to lay the foundation stone of the Convention cum Trade Zone in Bhubaneswar and also to announce the commencement of operation of World Trade Center at Bhubaneswar.”

“As you know, Bhubaneswar is the second planned city of the country and a great heritage centre.  It is steadily growing as a knowledge centre, and an attractive hub in higher education and health care. This Convention–cum-Trade Zone will add another feather to its cap, said CM Patnaik.   

CM Patnaik said that, “This convention centre will enable holding international conferences, workshops, seminars, exhibitions & trade fairs. A World Trade Centre having office & commercial spaces will be built beside the Fortune Tower and will form part of this facility. A 1.7 kilometer sky-walk will connect the convention center to all the nearby hotels and the World Trade Center. The project will be implemented in 3 years time with an investment of more than Rs 300 crore. I understand that such a facility connected through a Sky Walk is a unique and first of its kind concept in India.”

He further added that, I appreciate that with this facility, Bhubaneswar will be at par with the leading cities in India in the MICE (Meetings, Incentive, Convention & Exhibition) sector. The facility will significantly enhance and facilitate trade & commerce in Odisha.

CM Patnaik announced the commencement of operation of World Trade Centre, Bhubaneswar. Patnaik said that the centre will be the fifth World Trade Centre to be operationalised in India and is being facilitated by World Trade Centre, Mumbai. With the setting up of this World Trade Centre, Bhubaneswar will   become the part of “One Global Network”, spanning 100 countries and 343 World Trade Centres across the globe. World Trade Center, Bhubanesar will act as a catalyst for local business and global organizations to network, explore new Joint Ventures & collaborations in technology & investment.  It will help promote entrepreneurship in the state in the domain of export-import, particularly in IT, Electronic Hardware manufacturing, metal based downstream and ancillary industries, handloom & handicraft, seafood processing industries and other export oriented initiatives.

 CM Patnaik said that, “I hope that this would be a platform where the industry, academia and government would converge to stimulate trade and investment opportunities under the umbrella of World Trade Centre. The Convention-cum-Trade Zone facility will also create an urban landmark which shall give the city a new identity as a modern metropolis.”

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurates 5th branch of World Trade Centre in Bhubneswar. 

The function was attended by Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, MP Dr.Prasanna Patsani, Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, Industries Secretary Shri Visal Dev, Executive Director of World Trade Centre, Mumbai Mr. Warerkar.

On this ocassion CM Patnaik said that, “It gives me immense pleasure to lay the foundation stone of the Convention cum Trade Zone in Bhubaneswar and also to announce the commencement of operation of World Trade Center at Bhubaneswar.”

“As you know, Bhubaneswar is the second planned city of the country and a great heritage centre.  It is steadily growing as a knowledge centre, and an attractive hub in higher education and health care. This Convention–cum-Trade Zone will add another feather to its cap, said CM Patnaik.   

CM Patnaik said that, “This convention centre will enable holding international conferences, workshops, seminars, exhibitions & trade fairs. A World Trade Centre having office & commercial spaces will be built beside the Fortune Tower and will form part of this facility. A 1.7 kilometer sky-walk will connect the convention center to all the nearby hotels and the World Trade Center. The project will be implemented in 3 years time with an investment of more than Rs 300 crore. I understand that such a facility connected through a Sky Walk is a unique and first of its kind concept in India.” 

He further added that, I appreciate that with this facility, Bhubaneswar will be at par with the leading cities in India in the MICE (Meetings, Incentive, Convention & Exhibition) sector. The facility will significantly enhance and facilitate trade & commerce in Odisha.

CM Patnaik announced the commencement of operation of World Trade Centre, Bhubaneswar. Patnaik said that the centre will be the fifth World Trade Centre to be operationalised in India and is being facilitated by World Trade Centre, Mumbai. With the setting up of this World Trade Centre, Bhubaneswar will   become the part of “One Global Network”, spanning 100 countries and 343 World Trade Centres across the globe. World Trade Center, Bhubanesar will act as a catalyst for local business and global organizations to network, explore new Joint Ventures & collaborations in technology & investment.  It will help promote entrepreneurship in the state in the domain of export-import, particularly in IT, Electronic Hardware manufacturing, metal based downstream and ancillary industries, handloom & handicraft, seafood processing industries and other export oriented initiatives.

 CM Patnaik said that, “I hope that this would be a platform where the industry, academia and government would converge to stimulate trade and investment opportunities under the umbrella of World Trade Centre. The Convention-cum-Trade Zone facility will also create an urban landmark which shall give the city a new identity as a modern metropolis.” 

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